While in the Netherlands and much of Europe the corona outbreak has been controlled to such an extent that cafes, restaurants and borders can reopen, the picture looks very different on other continents. The number of cases registered daily is now greater than ever worldwide. What does that mean for us?
Although we have recently seen a few local outbreaks in Europe, such as Germany, Spain and Portugal, things are generally going well. The lockdown measures taken seem to have worked.
First or second wave?
There are concerns about a ‘second wave’ in the fall, if we spend more time indoors again. The risk of contamination indoors is greater than in the open air. That already seems to be happening in Australia, where it is now winter. The country has taken tough measures, such as closing the borders between two states and a lockdown in Melbourne.
But experts emphasize that there is actually no second wave, because the first wave is still floating around the world. In countries such as the US, Brazil, India and South Africa, the numbers are rising sharply.
This is also due to the increasing test capacity there, says epidemiologist Patrica Bruijning. “Whether the number in a particular country is really higher than two months ago is sometimes difficult to estimate.”
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